When is a toy not just a toy?

How a Turtle sensory toy became an essential sensory aid that helped my daughter to stop hurting herself. 

Us SEND parents know that sensory toys are not just toys. Our children get a lot of sensory and developmental benefits from them. They help to focus and soothe at home or in the classroom.  However, soft toys are not typically considered a sensory tool,  I beg to differ...

Alice was a biter. She started biting at an early age out of anger, frustration, excitement, basically any emotion she found overwhelming or didn’t understand.

I chose to delay her starting nursery as was worried about her biting others. Thankfully she gave warning noises that it could happen, but myself and my Mum (Nanny) were often on the receiving end. She also headbutted things. No matter what I tried with putting soft things in the way, she’d often miss or hit her head on something unsuitable.

I found information about applying pressure to her forehead gently with my hand. This worked, she’d push her forehead into my hand and I could feel her body relax. Id already tried sensory chews and dummy for her biting but these often got spat out to bite instead. Using the same method of offering my palm, I guided Alice to push her chin into my hand.  The first time she was happy and not in a situation where she’d normally bite. I gently applied pressure and Alice pushed back against it. I took my hand away and she pulled it back to her chin. This was the beginning of what we call “chinning”. I had no idea then that chinning was an autistic sensory behaviour.

Alice has been “chinning” instead of biting for roughly 3 years. Where that is a huge positive, unfortunately chinning also has its downside. The older and bigger she gets, the emotions are bigger and the chinning is harder. She does it on herself, me, Nanny and her 1:1s. She often misses a hand and does it on arms, which really hurts. She also does it on her knee and other unsuitable surfaces. Since returning back to school this year, the chinning has become more intense. I have been looking into alternatives which I am struggling to find.

Some suggestions either haven’t worked or are not suitable. They are too soft or are a pica risk e.g. sponges or stress balls which she will try and eat. Whilst looking back at some videos I spotted one of Alice 'chinning' her Meavia Mini Sunny the Sea Turtle. I offered Alice Mini Sunny and showed her she could chin it. She gave me a big beaming smile, took Sunny from me and gave him a chin. I added a name label to a new one and showed her it was for school.

Updated school that Alice was brining now named 'Toby the Turtle' and why. He was a huge hit at school and much to her 1:1s relief, she used him throughout the day when she needed to chin. Its also a comfort and great fiddle too with the sequins on the opposite side.

Alice is now taking ‘Toby’ aka Sunny everywhere and he even got a ride to the park on her bike.

Goes to show how a toy to one person is an essential tool/aid for another.